Anghéliki Stavropoulou – Makri, «La création d’ une nouvelle formule de la Crucifixion et sa diffusion dans les Balkans», Ελληνικές ανακοινώσεις στο Ε΄ Διεθνές Συνέδριο Σπουδών Νοτιοανατολικής Ευρώπης, Βελιγράδι 11-17 Σεπτεμβρίου 1984, Αθήναι 1985, σ. 241-257, πίν. 1-8. (original) (raw)

“The creation of a new formula for the Crucifixion and its dissemination throughout the Balkans”, Greek papers at the 5th International Conference of Southeastern European Studies, Belgrade 11th-17th September 1984, Hellenic Committee on Southeastern European Studies, Athens 1985, p. 241-257, ch. 1-8. The issue of Western influences in the iconography of post-byzantine art has only been sporadically studied by art historians. This paper constitutes an attempt to present a detailed iconographical study of the scene of the Crucifixion in the church of St. Demetrios in Veltsista, in order to detect any influences from western art and discover any exact templates. It is clear that this anonymous post-byzantine artist has created a new narrative composition which includes many secondary episodes, an influence of the iconography common in Gothic art. One only needs to compare his work with that of Altichiero, Giusto de Menabuoi, the brothers Salimbeni and Barna da Siena. Within the entirety of post-byzantine art, such an iconographical composition was until now only known from the Italo-Cretan icons, which also draw from the same source. The comprehensive examination of the iconographical particularities of the scene, together with the new elements adopted by the painter showed their connection with templates drawn from Italian art, namely the works of Barnaba da Modena and Andrea di Bartolo. Therefore, the anonymous painter of St. Demetrios, and Fragos Kontaris in Veltsista, who adopted the same composition, seem to have had knowledge, not only of the Italo-Cretan icons, but likely also had direct knowledge of the Italian works. Subsequently, the issue of the contact between the post-byzantine painters with the Western works of art was examined, by combining it both with the circulation of copper engravings and with the trade relations between the region of NW Greece, Italy, and the Venetian Ionian possessions. In conclusion, the dissemination of this iconographical type in subsequent monuments both in the Helladic region and in the wider area of the Balkans is examined, with particular focus on the monuments of Wallachia, which draw upon the Veltsista template by directly duplicating its iconographical composition.